My Answer to Breast Cancer spotlight on personal product safety

Hello, hello, hello. It's Dr. Jen Simmons from Real Health MD and this is my answer to breast cancer. I'm so excited to come to you tonight with my dear friend and beauty expert and clean beauty expert Shayna Gross. Shayna has been with a company called Beauty Counter, and if you don't know Beauty Counter, you need to know Beauty Counter. And we're going to talk tonight about cleaning up your environment and thinking about what you put on you and sometimes what you put in you, since you. You gave me, like, a stunning statistic the other day. So without further ado, let's get to it. Welcome, Shaina.

Thank you. Thank you so much for having me.

I'm so happy you're here. You know, we met about, like, two or three years ago now, and I have to say, you really opened my eyes to all. All of this because I was kind of going about my day in my traditional beauty brands, eating my lipstick. And how much lipstick do we eat? You have to give me that statistic again.

Nine pounds of lip product.

It's, like, nauseating to think about it, right?

Yeah, it really is.

And you just, like, kind of nonchalantly mentioned to me that X brand that I was wearing has heavy metals in it and that a quarter of the products that are still out there on the market have mercury in their lipstick.

Yeah. It really is astounding. And, you know, part of the challenge is you are in the healthcare profession. Not only that, you're an expert in the cancer arena. So how is it possible that. That this information hasn't been widely spread before our conversation? And I think it's that lack of transparency which sets Beauty Counter apart from other companies. When our founder and CEO started the company, she said, the world doesn't need another beauty brand. We need a mission. We need a movement to get safer ingredients into everybody's hands. And the way we do that is we arm people with information. And so the conversation that you and I are having tonight is so instrumental because I'm sure that there's somebody listening who's going to be hearing about this for the first time.

Wait, we had a little bit of technical difficulties.

Okay, Are you back?

I'm back. There you are. You're back. Yay.

So I was just saying this is going to be somebody's first time hearing about this information. And I love that you started writing with the lips, because people will say to me, wow, I'm just hearing about this for the first time. How's it possible the FDA isn't taking care of this for Me, how is it possible these things are on the shelves? Where do I even start? And I say start with your lips, because it is the place where you're not only putting harmful ingredients on your largest organ, your skin, but you're also ingesting them.

Yeah, absolutely. And, you know, the FDA doesn't do anything about any of this. I mean, there are so many harmful chemicals in our cosmetics and our body care. Yeah. They're just.

Yeah. I mean, in this country, we only regulate 30 of the ingredients. In Europe, they regulate 1400 harmful ingredients. And as a company, there's 1,800 ingredients you won't find in any of our products. And that's so important because the science is out there. And that's what's so fascinating. Right. If you use the environmental working group app called Healthy Living, you can scan your products and you can find out what the ingredients are that are harmful in your products. And it's astounding. How is it possible that this sunscreen doesn't say there's a potential carcinogen in this sunscreen? How's that possible? I mean, this summer, with the whole benzene contamination in major leading brands of sunscreen, and we're in 2021, this is. This is still a very current issue. So we have to really be informed consumers and know what we are putting on our skin.

Yeah. And just for people who don't know what benzene is, this is directly. It's directly linked to the formation of cancer, and it has no business or no place in any of the things that we are putting in and on us. And so we, you know, we are living in a sea of toxins. They are literally everywhere, and we have to make a concerted effort to minimize them. You're never going to be able to get rid of them. Right. They are everywhere. And it's impossible to think that you can live your life without the ingestion of toxins. And I'm not just talking about oral ingestion. Of course, we're talking about that through our lips. But, you know, our GI tract is our biggest exposure to the outside world. So we definitely have to be conscious about what we're putting on our lips, but our second biggest organ is our skin. And what people are putting on their skin is astounding and very, very meaningful because so many of these things contain antibiotics, contain phthalates, contain things that directly disrupt your skin's microbiome and your immune system, and they actually are linked directly to cancer. And we just don't think about these things. And we're not told very intentionally because these chemicals, they're included in nearly every over the counter, from designer products to drugstore products, they're in there almost universally. And the average woman, I think this statistic, the average woman within, before she starts her day, no one leaves the house anymore. But, but assuming that you did, like before you start officially start your day, you've already put 151 products on you. So imagine the number of chemicals. And I think you gave me that statistic. The number of chemicals that we put on our skin every day is like in the thousands. It's some astronomical number. And so for us to, for us to continue to do that, we're just piling, piling, piling on the amount of chemicals that are in our body. And it makes it almost impossible for us to clear. And so, you know, we end up with things like infertility and acne and hormone imbalance, which presents as fibroid tumors and can ultimately present as breast cancer. And so there's so much hormone disruption that happens as a result of the things that we're putting in and on us. And so everything that we can do to lessen that load is meaningful.

Absolutely. And you know, there's a really easy place to start, which is with the word fragrance. If you pick up a label and you see the word fragrance and the product doesn't say fragrance was derived from cleanly sourced essential oils, then you know that that product should probably go in the trash. Because in this country we have what's called the fragrance loophole. And I'm so glad you started talking about endocrine disruptors, because phthalates and parabens are endocrine disruptors and they are commonly found in fragrances that are not disclosed. So hearing you talk about hormones and how important hormonal balance is, and knowing that we still want our products to smell good. So you just used one of our hand creams and you can attest to the scent. And all of the scent comes from the same ingredients that are in it, which are all clean and safe. So knowing that we can achieve the same level of happiness and aromatherapy type feeling, but having only safe and clean ingredients is a really important place to start. So lips and avoiding fragrance are two top pointers for what we're talking about.

So let's start, let's talk about all my favorite things. And I have so many, as you know, and I am like a product junkie. Like, I love stuff, I love things that feel good, like this hand cream that I Just that I just used is, like, really super nourishing and smells delicious. But let's start with lips, because I'm someone that, like, I really have to have something on my lips at all time, and it has to be the right thing. Like, I want the texture right, I want the feel right, I want the color right, I want the smell right, I want the taste right. And for me, your beauty counter products, check all those boxes. What color are you wearing right now? I'm just. I just have that. That gloss on.

Okay. I'm wearing little black dress. Which is one of your favorites.

That's one of my favorite colors. So I love little black dress.

And I was curious because it looks so different on different skin tones. So not all of your favorites look good on me because we have such different skin tones, but this is one of those colors that it just looks good on everybody. So if you're wondering what you could be safe trying, if you can handle a little. Handle a little bit of color, and most people can. They're just kind of afraid of it, then little black dress is a great place to start. Start. It's our color intense. So it has like an 8 to 10 hour staying power in terms of the color. And it's a matte finish. So when this dries, right now it's still kind of glossy, but when it dries, it'll still have the color. And then if I wanted to keep that gloss finish, I could just apply a gloss on top of it.

Yeah. And I gave that to my mother and my sister for the holidays, and they both have very, very, very different pigmentation than I do, and it looks beautiful on everyone. So little black dress is a great shade. But you just introduced me to another shade recently. I just bought it, but I don't have it yet. That is twig. Yes, the twig.

So this is one that I can't pull off because it blends right in with my skin tone. But on you, you put this on and it was like the perfect color for you.

Yeah, it's a really great neutral. Yeah. And so for people who like that, like, nude lip look, that twig is just awesome. And we'll put all this in the show notes so that. So that people have it. And so let's move on to skin care. Well, also, can you show them that the. The lip gloss, the. The pot of. Of. Yep. Yeah. Because I love, love, love that one. It's citrus mimosa and it. Right.

No, this is. So it comes in two flavors. This is the calendula and then it also comes in peppermint.

Okay. And so I have the calendula, and it just. It, like, smells yummy, tastes yummy. Not that I'm eating it, but, like, I have one of those on my nightstand at my makeup table. Like, I have everyone. I have one in my handbag. Like, I just. Because I like my lips to be quenched. And it's really, really quenching and delicious.

Yeah. And the thing I love about it is the texture. Like people who are Blistex people or Vaseline people. This is just like a thick texture, and it really just soaks right in. And it keeps you hydrated over the entire night, over the entire day, however you want to wear it.

It's a beautiful product. It is. So let's move on to some skin care, because people are really concerned about having the right kind of product, products for their face. And I'm highly motivated by smells. And you guys have this delicious vanilla that is in your. That is in your products. And I know that I. That I smell it in the eye cream that I use and in the face cream that I use. Yeah.

So this is the counter match.

And the.

The amazing thing about the counter match is that the smell is so light, that this is the line that I recommend to people that are going through chemo because they can be so smell averse.

Yeah.

And so this is just a fabulous line. And this is the eye cream, the serum, and the day cream. And this is also a fabulous cream to wear underneath of makeup. It just fixes the makeup. It adds only the right amount of hydration, and you can tell these bottles are completely opaque. And that's because this line has zero preservatives in it. So if we were to have it in a clear bottle, then it wouldn't last. But because it's in these bottles, it's fine as it is, and it's all plant based, and it's just. It's a sensitive skin line. So this is good for any skin type. And it just. Just as you said, it just feels so good and so hydrating when you put it on.

Yeah.

Love it. Love it.

And then let's talk about the body a little bit, because we do use body lotion and. And that kind of thing. And again, we're covering a large part of our skin with that. So this is the body butter. Yeah.

And this is the citrus mimosa scent that Jen was talking about. And the thing that's amazing about this is just the thickness of this lotion. And because it's so thick. The amount of hydration you get from this and such a little bit goes such a long way. I mean, it's just like very thick, but not. It doesn't feel caked on and it doesn't feel heavy. It just feels very nourishing.

Yeah.

Yeah.

I also happen to love the body scrub.

Yes.

And people who like that because your skin feels so, so, so soft after you do one of these scrubs. And it's just. I mean, it's. The smell is heavenly.

The smell is lemongrass, and it is so intoxicating. And what I love about it is you can feel the sugar granules, but it's kind of like a gel. And it's so. It really feels. It doesn't feel like the oil is dripping. It just feels very, very soothing. And then it creates a really soft texture afterwards. Yeah.

And you're is so smooth afterwards.

Yeah.

So smooth. So those are my favorites. What are your favorites? What am I missing?

Well, I have two other things in front of me that are your favorites, and one of them is a face product. And I actually didn't put on any foundation or covering because I really wanted to show this. So it makes a lot of sense to me that this is one of your favorites. This is our dew skin. It's a tinted moisturizer with SPF in it. And it makes sense to me that it's one of your favorites because it has the SPF in it, which, being such an expert in cancer prevention as you are, SPF is always really important. And so what I love about this is it gives a really light coverage. So this is how it comes out. And when you put it on. This color might be a little light for me, but it gives, like, just a very light finish. It gives a natural glow. So this side doesn't have it. This side does, but it's a one and done. And then this is enough. If you're inside or just kind of in and out, this is enough protection for the entire day in the summer. I'll reapply if I'm going to be out in the sun. But it gives a really light, nice, finished look. And the tint covers any of the white that you would expect from just a plain sunscreen. So the dew skin. And again, considering you like smell, I'm not surprised this is one of your favorites.

Well, I also, I like its durability because I actually use that and play tennis and my skin is perfectly protected. Yeah.

So it doesn't run.

Yeah, no, no. I really, I really, really love that product. Yeah, I really love it. What else do you have there? What else? Did I forget about the.

The minis?

Oh, I forgot about the minis. I love these.

And these are actually three products that we haven't talked about. It's the serum from our anti aging line, and then this power couple that you can use with any skincare line you're currently using. It's our Albright C serum, which is a daytime treatment step and then our nighttime treatment step, which is the peel. It's 15 acids, nine that work to break down dead cells, six that work to rejuvenate new all safe. So this is just a great travel set. And then you can refill these bottles. Yeah, so these are like little glass bottles. And so they're very portable.

They are. They are in my travel kit. And I always, like when I. When I travel and I forget to, like, bring my big bottles, and then I realize that I get there and I have them, I'm like, oh, yay, my skin's gonna be glowing this week.

Right, right. And then the other thing you talked about was our body wash. I didn't bring the big one here because we are reformulating it so that one is out of stock. But we do have the travel minis, and that does come with body wash. And in the meantime, I'm happy to recommend some other safe body washes. But the thing. Well, we actually have a great option that I don't know if you've tried. I don't have it right next to me. Oh, I do. I'm gonna grab it. So for anyone who's looking for something in the meantime, this is our charcoal body wash. Oh, it's fabulous. Like, it comes from our men's line, but don't be deterred. It's very much unisex. And because it has that charcoal, you can feel the clean as you have it on. So I would feel.

So that's very detoxifying. And that. And that made me think of, you know, I use that charcoal mask that you guys make. And you know I use that on my armpits, right? I do.

That was one of our very first conversations. I was actually referring somebody back to our very first live that had us talking about that. I don't have it in front of me, but I'd love you to mention that because I quote you all the time. And I talk about lymphatic drainage and how important it is and how using the charcoal mask is really important in conjunction with a dry brush. Could you go into that a little Bit?

Yeah, absolutely. So there are a number of things that we do to help our body's detoxification method. So the way that our body detoxifies is through sweat, through peeing, and through pooping, but also through stimulation of our lymphatic system, which allows for greater circulation and greater detoxification. And so there are things that you can do to stimulate your lymphatics, but once you do that, like you want to pull those toxins out. And so dry brushing is a great way to stimulate your lymphatics. And we actually have a great collection of lymphatics sitting right underneath the skin in our armpits. We have a whole collection of lymph nodes there and a whole bunch, a whole conglomeration of those lymphatic channels that come up from your arm, but they also come up from your breast. And so the breast is somewhere that is very, very, very sensitive to toxins, which is why breast cancer is so common, because it just doesn't sustain toxic insults. So you want to try to detoxify that area and keep that lymphatic system as clean as you can. And so I use my dry brush on my arms to stimulate the lymphatics. And then I put the charcoal face mask. I mean, I know it's intended for the face, but I actually coat my armpits with it. And I just walk around for 10 minutes with my armpits up, with my arms up in the air, waiting for that to dry. If you want to cheat, you can use a blow dryer to get it to dry a little faster, but that actually helps to detoxify and to pull some of the toxins out of that area. And so I try to do that three days a week.

Wow.

And I just, I know that you have the individual packets, but I just use the big tube and I just do it that way. And it's great.

I'm going to have to do it more often. I've been doing it like once a month. I didn't know that you could do it so frequently. I think it's a great thing to do. And I also think it's really important. I'd love to hear your take on safe deodorant. Yeah.

So there are so many deodorants out there which can contain aluminum and triclosan. And, you know, the same way that you can pull toxins out from your armpits, it's a two way street. Right. So toxins can go in too. And so, you know, I don't know that I'm all the way on the bandwagon that deodorants cause breast cancer. But I think that the less amount of toxins that you put in and on you, the better off you are. So I happen to love your deodorant because first of all, it smells great, and second of all, it has a lovely texture. And I know that I'm not putting worrisome toxins into my body and especially near my breast. I worry about proximity of things. So that's a great product. You guys did that about a year ago? Yep.

And it's refillable. So when it runs, when this part of it runs out, you can actually reorder just the inset and then you can kind of wiggle it out and pull it out and then you put in another flavor so you could even mix and match the smells. The one thing that I did want to ask about, though, is, yes, I agree with you. I've read that the science isn't quite there about it causing breast cancer. But I do believe, and please correct me if I'm wrong, that the science is there about the link between aluminum and Alzheimer's.

Oh, without question. But I don't know that I think that there's definitely a connection between all heavy metals and mitochondrial destruction and the link to neurologic diseases. Without question. And I think it comes down to, like, you just want to put less toxins in your body. You just want to put less toxins on your body. So if you can reduce the amount of aluminum that you're taking in, then, yes, you are going to have a decreased chance of Alzheimer's, but a decreased chance of all chronic diseases because everyone manifests differently. So I don't think that, like, everyone who has a high aluminum load is going to get Alzheimer's. I think that everyone who has a high aluminum load is going to manifest something.

Got it. And, you know, you've referred twice now to my favorite motto, which is, if you can do it safer, then why not? Right. If you're not practicing, if you're not sacrificing performance to do safer, then absolutely do it that way. And I think that that's a third take home message, which is, you know, people feel concerned about, gosh, how much of my life do I have to change? And the answer is, you have to change as much as your life as you're comfortable changing. So the idea of our conversation isn't to create more stress. The idea of clean swaps isn't to create more stress. The idea is to inform People and really to help them start to think about things a little bit differently so when they are making their next purchase, they can say, oh, gosh, I remember there was this thing about clean. Let me go back and figure out what it is that we're talking about.

Yeah. And so I do want to reiterate that point that you started to make in that I think a lot of people like, don't want to give up their cosmetics or don't want to give up their skin care because they think that the green things are going to be less than. Right. And the one, the thing that is so consistent and wonderful about Beauty Counter is that the packaging is gorgeous. So you're not giving that up. The products, the way they smell, the way they feel, the way they perform is wonderful. So you're not giving up quality. You're not getting something less than it's really. You're really swapping out for something that's better.

Yeah.

And take it slow. Right. Like, you don't have to throw everything out. But as you suggested, we ingest nine pounds, was it nine pounds? Nine pounds of lipstick over our lives. So like, start there, find a shade that you like. They're all, they're all wonderful and beautiful. They wear beautifully. You know, switch out to that lip balm and like start there and start by changing your skin care up. Try one of these products and then, and then start and then go to your body products. But it's really not a sacrifice.

Yeah, I completely agree. You know, and that's the amazing thing, right. Because I remember way back decades ago when I first tried the only clean brand on the market and I was like, I'm not gonna switch. It doesn't work. Yeah. And it's wonderful. I mean, Beauty Counter is a billion dollar company. We've been around for over eight years. We put a ton of money into our clinical trials to make sure that we are not sacrificing performance. If it's not good enough, we're not putting it on the market. And our packaging is also sustainable. I mean, most of our stuff is in glass and the glass is manufactured in Mexico as opposed to overseas. So we're not increasing our carbon footprint. So all of those pieces that you spoke to. Yes. So incredibly important.

Yeah. Well, I thank you so much for being here today and talking about this topic because I again, I think that every little thing that we can do helps. And this isn't that much of a sacrifice. And people are getting this stuff anyway. They're buying beauty products anyway. They're buying skincare products anyway. They might as well buy products that make sense, that contribute to health rather than being a detriment.

Absolutely. And you know, having it be a week of gratitude and thankfulness. I'm so grateful to have you in my life and have you use your voice to spread the news about ingredient safety and just really keep people educated about how they can make the best choices for themselves. So thank you.

Absolutely. Absolutely. So Shayna, you're going to put all of your contact information in the comments along with these products that we talked about today that people can order them. They do make great holiday gifts. So when the holidays are upon us. So think about that and thank you so much for your time and your beautiful energy and spirit. Always love to be with you.

Likewise.

Thank you so much and I will see all of you soon. It's Dr. Jen Simmons. Bye for now.

Bye.